The second another car collides with yours, fear, stress and anxiety can start to fly through the roof. Dealing with the accident, making sure you and all of your passengers are okay, and struggling with all of the aftermath is a process, and if you’re not sure what steps to take after an accident, you can begin to feel overwhelmed.

IMPORTANT: Getting help from a California car accident lawyer can help you to manage the accident’s aftermath, but here are a few steps to follow after getting into a car accident.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident in California

While all car accidents are different and require individualized attention, there are some general steps you can take to ensure you properly handle the aftermath of a crash.

Chances are that you are reading this shortly after you had an accident or a few days after. The attorneys at the May Firm have experience in understanding how to best handle motor vehicle accidents.

Here are 5 steps to take after a car accident:

Step 1. Move your vehicles out of the way of traffic.

To help with the safety of other drivers, you should move your cars onto the shoulder or median if possible. If there’s nowhere to move your vehicles or the damage is too extensive, at least keep your hazard lights on so other cars can see you (especially at night). It’s a smart idea to keep mini traffic cones or markers in your trunk to put behind your cars as well so oncoming drivers are able to safely maneuver away from the accident.

Step 2. Call the police.

You should always call the police after an automobile accident — no matter how small. If there was damage to any car, or the potential for any driver or passenger to need to see a doctor, it’s best to have the police come and write up an accident report.

Step 3. Take photos of the damage.

Making sure that you have photos of the damage and the scene of the accident can help your case if you have any issues getting insurance aid in covering the cost of the damages. Take plenty of photos on your smartphone camera and record witness accounts (with their permission, of course), especially if there will be some debate over which driver was at fault.

Step 4. Contact your insurance agent.

The police who arrive at the scene will put together an accident report based on the account of all parties involved, as well as what he or she can ascertain from the scene of the accident. The accident report will include all parties’ insurance information, as well as who was at fault. In order to get started putting in a claim to get your car’s damage fixed, you’ll need to submit this accident report to your insurance agent.

Step 5. Get in touch with a California car accident lawyer.

Many things can happen after an accident. The driver at fault may try to dispute the fact that they caused the accident. Their insurance provider (or yours) may not want to cover the full cost of the damages. If you or anyone in your vehicle was injured, you may incur medical costs.

All of these are reasons to enlist the help of a car accident lawyer. Working with an attorney will help to ensure that you get the most out of your case, that all damages are covered, and you’re able to move past this.

If you have recently been in an accident, please give our office a call or text at (866) 669-7870.